Control over phase separation and nucleation using a laser-tweezing potential

• Published in: Nature chemistry Vol. 10; no. 5; pp. 506 - 510
• Main Authors: Walton, Finlay, Wynne, Klaas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.05.2018; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/638/440/94; 639/638/440/951; Analytical Chemistry; Biochemistry; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Chemistry/Food Science; Concentration gradient; Critical point; Crystallization; Free energy; Inorganic Chemistry; Laser beams; Lasers; Nucleation; Organic Chemistry; Phase separation; Photochemicals; Physical Chemistry; Physicochemical properties; Semiconductor lasers

Control over the nucleation of new phases is highly desirable but elusive. Even though there is a long history of crystallization engineering by varying physicochemical parameters, controlling which polymorph crystallizes or whether a molecule crystallizes or forms an amorphous precipitate is still ...